Wake Up
by zerocchi
Summary: This is a quirky x-over between Sleeping Beauty and G.H. It is more loosely based on the animated movie. Erm, I also stink at summaries, so if you would just read and review, I would love you all forever :3 Please and thank you! Rating may change depending on my paranoia
1. Chapter 1: Birth

As the infant's cries rang out, the queen softly smiled, and when the bundled babe was placed into her arms, her smile broadened, still retaining its softness.

"Ayako." The queen looked up at her husband and her smile grew more loving, if possible. The king, Housho, gazed upon his wife and child. Even after hours of labor, she was still beautiful in his eyes.

"It's a girl," she happily told him. The king's smile widened to a gleeful grin. Bending towards the queen, he tenderly kissed her, then looked upon his child, his daughter. Seeing her, his heart melted into mush and the king knew he would give the world for her.

"She's beautiful," he whispered.

"She has your eyes," she whispered back.

The infant, who had long since stopped crying, yawned adorably. If the king's heart was taken by the child before, he was wrapped around her little finger now.

"She will be spoiled rotten," he whispered half-jokingly, half-lovingly.


	2. Chapter 2: Christening

**Okay, so I realize I didn't place a disclaimer in the previous chapter. The previous chapter was kind of a test drive to see if I could publish a story without making it look bad or bunched up. Anyway, DISCLAIMER! YAY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not, have not, nor will I ever own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters (TT^TT)**

**~OoO~**

A month later, Emmailee "Mai" Takigawa was christened. Father John Brown, a priest privately hired by the king, performed the ceremony. Afterwards, a feast was held in the princess's honor. King Housho invited many people, and peasants were to close shop for the day, as everyone was to celebrate. The king even invited the royal family from the neighboring kingdom, that is how great the feast was.

As soon as the feast started, the neighboring royals were introduced and led to the raised part of the hall, where Housho and Ayako sat, with Mai sleeping in the crib next to the queen.

Housho stood and walked over to the approaching family. Standing in front of them, the king shook the hand of the gentleman standing at the head, then pulled him into a hug.

"Martin!" Housho laughed. He released the older man from the hug, but still shook his hand and started patting his shoulder. "How are you, good man?" He asked, heartily smiling.

King Martin smiled in reply, though more out of polite kindliness.

"I am well. Would you like to meet the other Davises?"

Martin introduced his wife, Luella, and his two sons, Oliver and Eugene, who were twins.

"Hearty-looking boys! Fine boys! I predict they'll be lady-killers in the future!" Housho laughed, winking at Martin. "Come, meet my wife and daughter!" He boisterously said.

Dragging them forward, since he was so informal, he introduced them all to Ayako and showed them Mai.

"Oh! She's just precious!" Luella gushed.

Pulling up the twins so they could see (they were only two, however smart they already were), the two boys peered at the baby girl. Both were curious, Oliver hiding it better than Eugene, who was bouncing to see the child.

Using the connection they had, they transferred thoughts and opinions to each other that they had about the girl.

'She's tiny!' Eugene thought. 'Noll, look how small she is!'

'She's 'a month old, of course she's small,' Noll mentally told his brother. 'Idiot.'

'Admit it, you think she's adorable, too,' Eugene smirked at his brother.

'What's adorable about a baby?' Noll answered/asked. Eugene just reached toward Mai's hand. 'Gene,' Noll thought threateningly.

'What?' Gene asked absentmindedly.

'Don't wake her,' Noll thought, slightly scared. 'What is she starts crying?' Noll didn't know how to deal with crying.

'Well, then her parents will do something… 'At that time, Gene was interrupted by his mother.

"Gene, what do you think about that?" Luella asked her son.

"Think about what?" Gene asked, confused.

Luella sighed. "About marrying little Mai when she grows up," she replied, wondering what could engross Gene into between her two sons.

Gene's head shot up and he looked at his mother, bewildered. "Mum, aren't I too young to be asked that?" Gene was disgusted by the idea of girls (he's two, of course he is).

Luella had to bite back a laugh at her son's expression. 'Oh well, when he's older he'll change his mind.' She smiled at her son.

"Of course, how silly of me," she turned to the other three adults when she was sure her sons were too into their own conversation. "I think it's a wonderful idea. Even if Gene doesn't accept, Noll can always take the responsibility," she said, still smiling.

"Well then!" Housho clapped his hands together. "It's settled! But," Housho became serious. "We'll not announce it till her eighteenth birthday. That way, she'll be of age." 'Plus, I can't let go of her before then,' he whiningly thought. Housho turned, though not before looking to his wife to prepare her, to the hall of guests and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He called. The people immediately quieted. "I would like to thank you all for attending this special occasion. I would, thereby, like make a toast, for my beautiful daughter, Emmailee!" He raised his goblet. All the adults followed and cheered, "Here, here!" Drinking deeply, he sat and motioned for everyone else to do so as well, though Noll and Gene ignored him and stayed by Mai.

**~OoO~**

**A.N: Wow. I'm surprised at myself. I have three pages typed up. I feel a need to celebrate *Throws a grand, old party* *comes back covered in confetti and tinsel* Whew! That was fun c: okay so um, I had this story sitting on my mind for a while and only now got to typing it. I have a bit more written for the next couple of chapters, but I will say this: I am not a regular updater, so it could be months before my next update after this week. I will apologize in advance for this *bows to audience* Thank you all for your understanding. I love you all!**


	3. Chapter 3: Help

**So, yesterday I didn't feel like typing, but today I decided, Hell, I still have more stuff written. Get yer ass in gear and start typing. People are depending on your (somewhat amateurish) story to update! So with that pep talk in mind, I give you Chapter Three!**

~OoO~

As Housho sat and dined, he waited; secretly he had invited fairies, three of them, and they were to soon arrive.

He wasn't disappointed; he soon heard the sound of tinkling bells and saw three small, gentle lights signaling their arrival. Everyone glanced upwards and mouths dropped in awe. Ayako grasped her husband's shirtsleeve and gazed with awe as well. Housho just looked on. Whispers broke out, and Noll and Gene's attention was drawn as well. They became curious.

As the lights drew nearer, they grew, till the people could see the light encompassed three beautifully aged women. The fairies dropped to the ground gently and walked to the royals.

Standing before the royals, the three fairies bowed. They then straightened and introduced themselves. Noll and Gene returned their attention to Mai.

"I am Flora," stated the frontern-most fairy, dressed in a kind of flowery, rose-colored dress. She had hair colored like a deep red tulip.

"Hello! I am Fauna!" The second fairy was dressed in a plain ensemble of grey and brown, her dark hair flowing beautifully wild and free.

"And I am Merriweather," the third sunnily said. This one had a rain-colored skirt, a white long-sleeved top, and sunny-yellow hair.

Housho stood with a smile and wide-open arms. "Greetings! Thank you for coming! This is my wife," he indicated Ayako, who smiled and waved. "These are the Davises," he pointed to Martin and Luella. "And their boys," he led the fairies over to the boys and the crib. "And this is my bundle of joy!" He grinned broadly to them, love shining brightly in his eyes. His bundle of joy was awake; currently she was burbling, gurgling, and giggling at the boys, mostly Gene because of the faces he was making.

Noll just watched his brother make the silly faces and Mai just to see her act like most babies do. Briefly, he wondered which side of her family gave her brown hair, considering Queen Ayako's was bright red and King Housho's was dirty blond (yes, he knew how babies were make; though he wondered still how boys could even want to go near girls). Oh well, blame genes (not his brother XD), crazy things.

'Hey, Noll. Noll, Noll, hey, hey Noll,' Gene pestered. 'Noll, hey Noll, what're you thinking 'bout?'

'I'm thinking about how stupid your face looks doing that and how it'll stick,' Noll coldly responded, glaring at his brother.

'Ouch, I'm hurt lil' bro. Crushed,' Gene pretended to be dying.

'Just because you were born twenty seconds before me, doesn't make me younger than you,' Noll thought bitterly, looking at Mai. Mai just gurgled at him.

'Un-hunh!' Gene whined. Then, he saw Noll look at Mai, and he smirked. 'You like~ her.'

Noll glared. 'No. I don't,' he said with a tone of finality. Gene just raised his brow.

Both boys turned when they heard "their sons", thinking they were being talked about, Gene absent-mindedly letting Mai grasp his outstretched finger in her tiny fist.

"And this is my bundle of joy!" When the king had neared, Noll went to Gene's side of the crib (the right). The two boys could feel the joy and love radiate of King Housho in wave after wave. It became a little sickening after a minute of warm fuzzies.

"Oh, she is just too cute!" The rosy fairy said. Mai burbled at them. "And charming," the wild-looking fairy chuckled.

Noll and Gene looked at each other, extremely curious as to how these fairies knew of the christening. Looking to the king, they agreed he must have invited them.

"I must say this before we begin: we may each give only one gift," stated the rosy fairy.

"We understand," Ayako replied. "Please proceed."

"Thank you. I shall go first," Flora quipped. She gazed at the tiny maiden, and thought it over. 'Yes, that shall do nicely,' she thought.

"I shall give the gift of cleverness," Flora finally said, and waved her wand over Mai. Sparks, colored red, purple, and blue, showered the babe. The infant giggled and reached for the pretty sparkles.

'I don't think the gift worked,' Noll telepathically told his twin.

'Oh hush, Noll, she's an infant; she shouldn't be expected to sit up and start talking,' Gene reprimanded Noll. 'You didn't at a month.' Noll quieted. The wild-looking fairy approached the crib.

"I shall go next," she mistily explained. She, too, looked upon the child. She hummed, thinking. 'I should think this will do.'

"I give little Emmailee the gift of song, so her voice may ring out beautifully," Fauna swished her wand over Mai, showering the girl with more sparks, these neutral in color. The baby looked with interest at these, wondering at their lack of color. The more sunny fairy came forward.

"My turn!" She cheerily announced; but before she could even look at the little girl, she felt a shudder of uneasiness creep up her back, as did the whole room. Soon as the ripple effect ended, the doors slammed open and an eerie dark light floated into the room. It grew bigger as it neared, till everyone could see a small woman in the darkness of the aura.

Softly she landed and the woman walked toward the royals, looking as though she were bored. She stopped a few feet from the royals, where Housho had stepped to the front, the hand closest to his blade resting on the hilt, and Martin standing protectively in front of his wife and the children.

The woman had a long, straight black dress that had spots of green throughout the ensemble, as though they were petals floating in the darkness. The long sleeves covered her palms, one of which was holding a staff. Her short, black hair framed her doll-like face. Her eyes were as black as her dress and fathomless as an abyss, and just as cold. She opened her mouth to speak.

"My, my! Quite a party we have here!" She drawled in fake-admiration, boredom underlying her tone. "I must say; Housho, do you think my invitation could have been lost?" From how she spoke, you knew that she knew she had not been invited.

"What are you doing here, Masako?" Housho asked, fake-wonder turning into a sneer around the woman's name. Said person smiled, but it didn't reach her heartless eyes.

"Why, I've come for the celebration, too!" She faked excitement (I seem to like making everyone fake things, huh?). "And I brought gifts!" At this she smirked evilly, malice entering her eyes.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Housho roared. He reached for his sword, but was thrown to the wall with a wave of Masako's hand. Ayako screamed and ran to her husband's side. Martin stood more firmly, but he too was thrown out of the way. Luella ran for her husband and the children were alone. Mai started crying, frightened, but unsure of what by. The boys, formerly frozen by fear, turned back to the crying child to comfort her, though scared themselves.

Masako walked calmly toward the crib and the boys looked up in fear. They looked to each other, silently agreeing on something. The air started thickening around them and soon a yellow ball of some force was thrown towards the witch by Noll. Masako just looked at the ball before it dissipated. Noll and Gene looked horror-struck as Masako neared ever closer.

"Look at these handsome faces," she purred when she stood before the crib. "Ah, if only she would shut up." The witch waved her hand and all was silent. "Much better. I have a gift for you," she sneered. "Before the sun sets on your eighteenth birthday, you shall be stabbed by an ordinary thimble, on your finger," she smiled and giggled, "and you shall die," she finished softly and giggled again; that giggle sounded so evil and malicious. She waved her staff over the child and Mai tried to wiggle from the evil-feeling sparks.

She then looked at the boys, who shuddered involuntarily under her evil gaze.

"I have a gift for you two as well." Coming from anyone else, that would have sounded innocent, but this was not the case. The only reason the boys were still standing was by their white-knuckled grip on Mai's crib.

"My gift for you two shall be you both shall love her, but shall not attain her. And when she dies by the curse, neither will ever be able to have her. One will think she loves the other and not accept her, only to later realize your mistake." She smile and flicked her staff over them.

When she finished, she turned to walk away. As she walked, she shrank, until she was the eerie ball of dark light again and bobbed out of the castle.

After she left, the men could return to the crib (Masako kept them down so they couldn't interrupt her). The twins were shakily comforting Mai, trying not to show their fear in front of the baby princess. Mai's crying settled to sniffling (when Masako left, Mai's crying picked up sound again), and she was tearfully looking at the boys.

As the adults surrounded the crib and looked at their children, they thought the same thing:

'What will we do?'

Housho was the first to collect himself. He turned and called forth his law-writer (A.N: I don't actually know what these people were called, so if someone could tell me later, thanks). Clearing his throat, he spoke shakily but clearly.

"Let all spindles and spinning wheels be burned. Until the day after the princess's eighteenth birthday, all spinning wheels shall henceforth be banned in this kingdom. Stop." Housho then dismissed the writer and sat in his throne.

Someone cleared their throat. The king looked up and saw the last fairy. He motioned her to speak.

"Your Highness, I still have yet to present the princess with my gift, and," she turned to the Davis couple, "if you will allow me, I can do something about your sons' curse." Martin and Luella's faces bore relief, as well as the Takigawa couple.

"But you must know, all of you: I can only soften their curses," Merriweather told them sadly. Understanding crossed their faces, followed by resignation and sturdiness, replacing the relief they'd previously bore.

Turning first to the infant, she started:

"Precious child, you shall not die by pricking your finger, only sleep; until true love's kiss release you." She smiled sadly. She turned to the boys.

"Only one shall love her in the way Masako related. True love, I mean. Since she will not die by the curse, you will attain, despite your mistake of thinking she loves the other." Merriweather then poured the magic in her wand unto the princess first, then the boys.

Mai giggled and gurgled at the happy feeling sparkles, colored with yellow, soft blue, and softer grey, and tried to grab them. Failing this, the babe frowned and instead grasped the two boys' fingers that were still open to her. She smiled again.

Noll and Gene glanced back at the baby princess. Both knew that now they would do anything to protect the infant.

Merriweather looked at the boys and smiled at the two's resolution. She turned from the crib and walked back to the royals. She beckoned her sisters over as well.

"Your Highness," Merriweather said to Housho. "I recommend you hide the princess." Her sisters nodded.

"Yes," he stared off, in thought. "With whom, though?" Martin then stood.

"I think I have a solution to that," he stated. The adult royals started planning, interrupted by the fairies about a detail or three. Once finished, the royals set to put the plan in motion.

~OoO~

**Okay, so that was the longest typing I've ever done, other than school assignments. Anyways, I will give you all cyber-cookies if you review! Like, saying if it was good or if it needs anything changed. I appreciate all reviews, flames included, because it just helps me be a better writer. So please review! *begging eyes***


	4. Chapter 4: To the forest

**So… I have 200 views on my story :3 this makes me happy. I also realize that I forgot to do the disclaimer in the last chapter. However, none of the guys want to do it for me *sigh* oh well.**

**DISCLAIMER: I will never own Ghost Hunt (TT^TT)**

~OoO~

Three days later, after sunset, two people could be seen leaving the castle through a side gate past the royal garden, though only the king and queen saw them leave, taking with them their only joy and light.

And so, seventeen and a half years past, neither long nor fast, but the princess's eighteenth birthday neared closer, and judging by how clouded and foreboding witch Masako's domain stayed, all knew the princess was well. This greatly displeased Masako.

"Nearly eighteen years; and none of you have found a trace of her, correct?" She stated. A majority of her minions nodded. "I see." She raised her staff and a few unlucky fronternmost minions were electrocuted. The witch rose menacingly, despite her height.

"Tell me EXACTLY where you've been searching! NOW!" She screamed. One bravely (or stupidly) came forward.

"We- we searched every town, every house, all th- the c-cribs, and"– the minion stopped at Masako's raised hand.

"Did you say," she started calmly, "cribs?" The minion nodded. The witch closed her eyes and sat on her "throne". Then, her shoulders started shaking. And then, the strangest sound was heard:

Laughter.

Now, coming from anyone else, it would have sounded melodious, but this is Masako, so it scared the minions. Nervously, they started laughing as well, to not incur the witch's wrath.

"C-cribs!" Masako gasped in her laughter. "The entire time, searching for a baby!" Her laughter came out harder. The minions were soon beside themselves with giggles and snorts and bruised sides.

Suddenly, Masako stopped and her face curled into a dangerous, murderous mask.

"Morons," she whispered. "Imbeciles, idiots, FOOLS!" With each word, her voice grew louder and more venom poured in. In her rage, she struck down more and more minions. Scared, they scrambled away from her. Though still angry, she lowered her arms, and spoke:

"Find a girl, close to eighteen, hair colored like dirt and skin fair. GO!" She screamed. They fell over themselves to carry out her orders. She sat down, exhausted, formulating how to find the girl…

Somewhere in the forest, oblivious to the world a girl with short, brown hair and chocolate eyes was performing her daily chores of dusting, sweeping, and laundry. She didn't mind; in fact, she loved her chores; she loved her guardians, her house, and her life. Never would she change it.

"Mai~!" Hearing her name, she was drawn from the fireplace.

Mai approached the voice and found the first of her guardians, Madoka Mori, whom of which was currently holding a basket.

"We've seem to have run out of herbs," Madoka sheepishly answered Mai's questioning expression. "I need rosemary, thyme, applethorn, and orange blossoms," she smiled.

Mai sighed. "This is because you keep insisting on cooking so extravagantly," she faked exasperation.

Madoka pouted a little, then smirked. She opened her mouth to make a retort, but a different voice beat her to it.

"Mai, you know you love her 'extravagant' cooking, so go."

Turning, the girls found the voice's owner: it was Lin Koujo, Mai's other guardian. He was in charge of hunting.

At hearing this comment, Mai smirked, which changed to a smile.

"I know," she replied. Turning back to Madoka, she grabbed the basket and hugged the older woman, who returned the hug.

Releasing Madoka, Mai ran out the door, calling, "See ya, Aunt Mori, Uncle Koujo!"

Madoka returned the call, but the girl was too far to hear it. She lowered her hand and smiled sadly. Lin came up behind her and patted her shoulder, looking out at the forest.

"Don't worry, we still have time with her left," he stated, a hint, a HINT, of sadness in his tone (but he'll never admit it, Mr. Stoic).

Madoka nodded. "I know," she breathed, sadness coloring her voice.

In the forest…

Mai headed towards her favorite applethorn patch, humming along the way. She always loved singing, though was never confident in her abilities. The animals seemed to like it enough, because they always come near. Mai never found it weird since they had been doing so since she found her voice.

She reached the little patch and started plucking and pruning, still humming non-sensical tunes. Never did she think that anyone, other than her guardians, would be close enough to hear her…

~OoO~

**Oooh, is somebody new in the forest? Will she be okay? Yes I realize that this is a short chapter today, but I don't feel like typing a whole lot more. So, if you all love me (or are just kind enough), please review *begging eyes* please?**

**P.S: I'm sorry this chapter wasn't updated yesterday, but FF wouldn't let me reach the page that would let me update the story, so now here it is!**


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting

***Cricket sounds* So… how is everyone? (Audience boos and throws tomatoes at the author) I'm sorry! I know I haven't been on in a long time! But! I can explain. I was grounded for who knows what right now (I really don't know why). Plus, creativity has eluded me since I last wrote all I have in my little *black* notebook. And I've been a little lazy. But the major reason I haven't been on in so long is mostly the expulsion from computers. So now! The next chapter of Wake Up!**

~OoO~

A humming reached the boy's ears. Well, not a boy, but not quite a man yet. Anyway, he heard a humming, coming from deeper in the forest. A normal person would ignore it, thinking it a wood sprite trying to get them lost; but Oliver Davis wasn't normal, or at least, by common standards. By royal standards, he- oh, who am I kidding, his IQ is genius level, girls fall left and right over his looks, and his status is Crown Prince. I'd say that's abnormal.

It doesn't help that he was a scientist and into the paranormal. I mean, come on! There are fairies and sprites and witches and dragons! And he was into the paranormal, in a magic world! That's just not right!

*ahem* As I was saying, Oliver Davis was anything but normal. So, he became curious as to what caused the humming. It didn't help that he was lost; or maybe it did. Depended on what was at the source of the humming.

So he followed the sound. He became so entranced with the humming (he'd say figuring out what being could possibly make it), he didn't notice the pond until he was in it. That is to say, he fell in it.

The sound of snickering reached his ears. He looked up and around; seeing nothing, he glowered at the air.

'Gene.' He grumbled in his head. All that responded was more laughter. Miffed (**A.N: After writing this, I kept saying miffed; it's a fun word**), he stood, climbed out of the pond, and kept walking through the forest with as much dignity as possible.

_Who_.

Mai turned, looking around. 'Strange.' She turned back to the patch.

_Who,_ _who_.

She jerked her head towards the trees; she sighed. "Owls shouldn't be awake during the day, you know."

"Aww, you caught me." At first, she thought the air had said that (magical world: wind spirits and all), but then she saw a boy step out. Cheekily grinning, the boy was slightly taller than her, with navy black hair and eyes like a blue crystal cave. He was really pale. In fact, she thought, he almost looked… transparent. On the inside, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, though outwardly, she smiled.

"Hello," she greeted the boy. "You know, you should really look up your bird calls. Any other kind, and I would have truly thought you were one."

"Eh, oh well." The boy shrugged, lazy grin in place. "Anyway, why are you so deep inside the forest, princess?"

Her inwardly, suspicious eyes twitched in irritation.

"Two things," she held up a finger. "One, my name is not princess, it is Mai, nice to meet you, too." Two fingers up. "Two, I should be asking you: what are you doing here?" She lowered her hand.

The boy cleared his throat.

~OoO~

Oliver was not lost. He'd tell you so if he weren't so concentrated (he's lost). The humming had just stopped. Previous to this, the sound seemed fairly close and he'd been going in the same direction since his little *ahem* mishap. After he couldn't hear the humming any longer, he just continued in the direction he pinpointed the humming to have come from.

After walking for not fifteen feet, he stopped to listen to… listen to what? He paused looking around. It sounded like a one-sided conversation. Turning first to his right and seeing nothing, he kept turning to his right, until he saw a clearing, more distinctly, a girl sitting in said clearing, to his, originally, back left, possibly one hundred, a hundred and five degrees from his original direction. Judging how the clearing looked almost camouflaged against the forest setting, he felt justified upon having missed this clearing (**the girl *snicker***). Hiding behind one of the trees, he was glad the girl's back was to him.

'Now, why would someone be out this far into the forest?' Oliver thought suspiciously, blatantly ignoring that he was also that far in the forest. He paid greater attention to what the girl was saying.

"-What are you doing here?" The girl asked. Oliver half thought she was talking to him, but dismissed the idea.

She said nothing for a few minutes, and he decided to step into the clearing.

"My name is of no consequence, sorry," the boy grinned. Mai just scowled at him. "As to why I'm here-" he stopped suddenly and then turned and ran. 'Vanished out of sight to not spook me,' she guessed. Still, she stood up abruptly when the boy had run, startling Oliver in the process.

Oliver had the strangest urge to ask if she was okay, but chose not to, so that she wouldn't do anything else that might startle and/or harm him.  
Mai sighed and sat again, remembering the needed herbs and plants and going back to her applethorn patch.

Seeing she wouldn't speak anymore, he spoke up, her back to him.

"Who were you talking to?" Oliver asked.

Mai started, surprised at two things: one, that the boy came back so quickly, and two, not actually expecting him to come back.

"I was talking to-" While speaking, she had been turning. Upon seeing the speaker, she broke off, knowing now this had not been the boy she'd seen. Thankfully, she hadn't said what she was thinking, which was "you". Instead, she stammered out, "To… to my-myself." The boy, who wasn't who she'd originally been talking to, but looked like him, just raised a brow. She turned away in response.

Oliver became perplexed; this was rare, and in turn, heightened his curiosity of the girl. She'd paled at the sight of him, he noticed.

'He's definitely different; they look the same, but… his eyes… they're so cold. The first's,' she thought, 'were warm and full of humor, but this man. No, they definitely aren't the same.' She also noted that his were more ocean blue-and-gray, like the stormy seas, though she'd never seen anything larger than a lake.

Looking back at him, she saw he was still watching her. She turned back, feeling a touch of fear. She gathered the last of what she needed from her patch, stood with the basket in hand, and turned to fully face him. Her expression was a nervous smile.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I still need to collect some stuff, and it's getting on in the day, so… bye!" With that, she bolted.

Oliver stood shocked. Normally, a girl would fawn and swoon over him, but this girl ran…! Blinking, and still wondering why she was talking to air, he ran after her.

Mai zagged, went one direction, headed back to the patch, and went in all sorts of paths. Finally, not sure her erratic running course would deter the stranger, she tied the basket to her skirt, and climbed a nearby tree.

Twenty seconds behind her, Oliver did not see her climb.

"Damn," he cursed. He turned and started to walk away.

Mai, from her safe point high up (taking the term "tree hugger" to a literal form), sighed in relief, and didn't notice the basket slip from its simple knot until it was too late. She watched, horrified, as the traitorous object plummeted to earth.

Oliver heard crackling and a dull thud. He turned and walked towards the as-of-yet unseen basket. Looking closely, he saw the object, filled with the plant the girl had been picking. Basing the loudness of the sound and the spot on which the basket sat, he knew it fell, possibly fifteen or twenty feet from its landing point. With this knowledge in mind, he looked up. Right into the fearful face of the basket's owner.

He sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up again.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he called up to her. She didn't look consoled. "If I were, I could have done so back in the clearing; instead, I spoke aloud to you. Now, come down." He was satisfied to see her comply, even though she still had a look of suspicion.

When she touched ground, he stood still. No sense in making her run again.

"Now then, I only have three questions. I expect a prompt answer to each before I go." That said, he sat on a large, nearby rock. She stayed standing.

"Why are you in the forest, picking herbs you could very well have purchased in a market?" He stared at her waiting. She stared back, hesitant, before opening her mouth.

"I live here in the forest. Only my aunt and uncle go outside it, for things the forest cannot provide."

Oliver nodded, expecting as much.

"Why-" he began, but the girl interrupted.

"I just want to say, then ask you something." When Oliver said nothing, she took it as her go ahead.

"Since I am now forced to talk extensively to you, I believe we should be introduced." Feeling that she should go first, she started again. "My name is Mai, I'm pleased to meet you."  
"You should be," Oliver started immediately after she finished. His sentence and his tone irritated, annoyed, and plain old made her angry. "My name is Kazuya Shibuya."

'Oh, I see; well, I can tell I have no need for your real name, narcissist, so I'll just call you Naru (in private, of course,' she thought, really ticked. She got herself to calm down enough to finally speak again.

"Anyway, now for my question," upon which she goes starry-eyed and wondering. "What's a market like?" She was excited to know. Again, he answered promptly.

"Noisy, crowded, and generally unpleasant," he said, degrading and cold.

"Dammit, why does he have to have the same answer as Lin," she mumbled. Oliver's eyes widened slightly at hearing this (he has super-hearing).

"Who is Lin, and how do you know him?" He asked.

Mai almost replied, stopped herself, and instead said:

"Are those the next two questions you really want me to answer?" She inquired with a ghost of a sly grin. He only glared at her. She, in turn, just raised a brow.

"No, and since we come back to this, I will ask you my original questions now." He had leaned forward during the brief stray from the topic, and now leaned back.

"Why did you run?

~OoO~

**Phew! That was a lot of typing! My neck hurts and I really wanna catch up on everything else. So for now, I will leave off at this point. Remember to review, because it is every authors' bread and water. :D I love you all! zerocchi signing off!**


End file.
